The Medal I Didn’t Feel I Deserved

Two weeks ago, I wrote to you about something I’m still learning how to do well:

PAUSE

After getting sick for most of January, my body forced a kind of reset I hadn’t planned for. It slowed everything down in ways I resisted at first.

But something else has been unfolding since then.

PERSPECTIVE.

Last week, something small happened that stayed with me.

I walked into my son’s room to say good morning.

He ran up and gave me a big hug and then placed one of his medals around my neck.

I laughed and asked him, “What’s this for?”

And he said, very matter-of-factly, “For being the best mom ever.”

And immediately, my brain did what so many of our brains do.

It started coming up with excuses.

But I haven’t been showing up the way I want to.
I’ve been sick.
I’ve been tired.
I haven’t been at my best.
That quiet voice of guilt showed up instantly.

Maybe you know that voice too.

But this time, instead of brushing it off or correcting him, I paused.
I looked at him and simply said, “Thank you.”
Then I told him how brave he had been while I’ve been recovering these past few weeks.
And he shrugged and said, “Oh, that was easy. I had Daddy.”

My husband was standing right there, so the three of us ended up in this big family hug… thanking each other.

Nothing about our situation had changed.
I was still recovering.
Still slower than I wanted to be.
Still not fully back to myself.

But the whole morning felt different. More connected.
And it reminded me of something important.
Sometimes the shift we need isn’t doing more.

It’s receiving what’s already here.
And isn’t it funny how our kids’ perspective can be so different from ours?

Making our own rainbows

This weekend is International Women’s Day.

And I’ve been thinking about how many women carry the invisible weight of trying to hold everything together.

The caregiving.
The emotional labor.
The pressure to keep going even when our bodies are asking us to slow down.

Women are often the emotional anchors of families and communities.

When a woman feels grounded, the ripple touches everyone around her.
Her children feel it.
Her partner feels it.
Her workplace feels it.

But so many women are trying to do this alone.

White-knuckling their way through exhaustion while wondering why it still feels so hard.

The truth is… we were never meant to do this alone.

Which is exactly why I created The Village, and why I’m launching my first Transformational GROUP Parenting Program this month.

Not because anyone needs to be a perfect parent.

But because learning how to regulate ourselves, shift old patterns, and show up differently in our families is work that becomes easier in community.

And maybe even more meaningful there.

Blooming after rest

So as we move into International Women’s Day this weekend, I’m holding this question for myself.

What would it look like to show up as the most grounded version of myself?

Not the perfect version.
Not the never-tired version.
Just the steady one.

Because our children don’t need perfection.
They need presence.

And we deserve nervous systems that feel safe again, too.

If that question resonates for you, I’d love to connect.

My 12-week Transformational Parenting Group begins this month, and I’m offering free 30-minute clarity calls to explore whether it might be a good fit for you.

No pressure.

Just a conversation.

With gratitude,

Priyanka

P.S.
If you’re celebrating International Women’s Day this weekend, I’d love to hear:

Who is a woman in your life who has shaped you in a meaningful way?

Hit reply and tell me about her. I’d love to celebrate her with you.